


Kiss Me

by wordslinger



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Mystwalker, jerza - Freeform, kiss prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 15,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4343891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordslinger/pseuds/wordslinger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My interpretations of a kiss prompt meme on tumblr (link in body)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good Morning Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> I had a bad day today and needed a distraction. Usual drill: no beta, I don't own Fairy Tail.

_**There are many kiss prompt memes on tumblr.The list of prompts I liked best can be found[[here]](http://1ooo-w0rds.tumblr.com/post/121554286302/send-me-a-number-and-a-pairing-and-ill-do-a).** _

* * *

 

      The sun painted stripes over the walls and furniture as it seeped through the slotted window blinds. Jellal’s eyes flickered open and he took a moment to orient himself with the surroundings. He’d been waking up in the same bed for half a year and it still didn’t feel entirely real. Getting used to sleeping on a mattress was strange enough but the body next to him never failed to make him reach out and touch her just to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.

      Sometimes she slept next to him content to simply be there. Other nights she tangled their limbs and didn’t let him go until morning. His personal favorites were the nights he spent with his face against the back of her neck and one arm securing her body against him. On this particular morning he woke with her head on his chest and one hand wrapped up in her hair. She still slept soundly and Jellal enjoyed the peacefulness in her features. It probably wouldn’t last long.

      They’d fought the night before; same argument, different circumstances. He hated fighting with Erza. They’d spent far too long on opposing sides to waste the time they now had together disagreeing.

      He watched the morning light creep across the room in silence allowing the strands of her hair to slide over his fingertips. When she finally stirred she yawned and looked up at him. He smiled.

      “Good morning.” She smiled back, though less brightly, and leaned over him. Jellal waited for her to brush her fingers over his face and kiss his cheek before she settled next to him again.

      “I don’t want to fight.”

      “I hate fighting with you, Erza. And I won’t anymore. I’m not going to stop you but at least tell me you understand why I think it’s a bad idea.” She reached across his chest and found his hand. Her fingers laced with his and she fell into a thoughtful silence.

      “I understand.”

      “But you haven’t changed your mind?”

      “No.” Jellal sighed and glanced down at her.

      “One of these days my hair will turn completely grey.” She laughed softly.

      “Will you blame me or Meredy?”

      “ _Both_ of you give me equal amounts of anxiety,” he grumbled. “I guess if you’re on her side that means this battle has been lost.”

      “It’s not a loss for Meredy.”

      “She’s too young.”

      “She’s an adult, Jellal.” Erza gave him a moment to process. His mental cogs always had turned slower and more pragmatically than hers. “She’s happy.”

      “Ultear was always better with her.” Erza recalled her hand and propped her chin in his chest to look up at him.

      “She loves you, too.”

      “It’s not the same.”

      “I don’t think it matters, really. She just wants your approval. Can you give her that?” She smiled sadly. “You and I never had parents to speak of. Meredy had Ultear and now you. Your support is important to her or she’d have done it already.” Jellal sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling.

      “I know.”

      “Then why are you being so stubborn?” When he had no answer for her, Erza laughed. “You’ll make a great dad someday.”

      “Do you have news to shock me with, too?” He arched a wary eyebrow.

      “Not today, no. I promise.”

      “Good. Now can we start the morning over and pretend Meredy isn’t marrying that ostentatious ice-make wizard?”

      “You’re cute.” Erza slid her body onto his. “You can’t ignore it forever.”

      “I know,” he said settling his hands on her hips. “But can you give me five minutes? At least?”

      “Sure.” She kissed him briefly on the lips before moving to his ear. “Good morning,” Erza whispered. “You can take your five minutes now.”

      “Only five?” She giggled when he flipped her over on the mattress.

      In the end Jellal took fifteen.


	2. Forehead Kiss

            She was warm. Too warm. _Frighteningly_ warm. Sweat beaded on her skin and he could tell her jaw was clenched.

            “Erza,” he whispered. When she didn’t respond he leaned closer and could feel heat radiating from her body. _“Erza.”_

            “Hmm…” Her lips barely moved and Jellal decided not to count the sound as a cognitive response. He pulled the blankets back and saw they were soaked through with sweat. This was not good.

            “Erza, you’re not going to like this but it has to be done.” Jellal left her for a moment to run lukewarm water running in her bath. When he returned he hesitated before lifting her to a sitting position and peeling her clothes from her body. This was _clinical_. _Objective_ , even. He couldn’t let her stay in the garments that were damp with sickly sweat. And he certainly couldn’t return her to the bed in wet things, either.

_Oh, hell._ She had nothing at all underneath the nightgown and Jellal did his absolute best to keep his eyes from straying to her naked body like a leering asshole. That feat was made extremely difficult when he had to lift her into his arms to make it to the bathroom. Erza was still non-responsive and leaving her alone to retrieve her guild’s healer would take too much time. The fever needed to be taken down immediately.

            In the back of his mind Jellal knew he’d have to explain why he was in Erza’s apartment to begin with. He doubted the way he climbed through her window was common knowledge amongst her guildmates. Erza’s eyes flew open then shut halfway again when he placed her in the bath. She shivered and sobbed erratically.

            “Hey, Erza. You with me yet?” Her shoulder was still too warm for Jellal’s liking and he grabbed a washcloth from a stack of clean looking towels. He washed her face and tried to wet her hair a little. She startled him by grabbing his wrist.

            “ _You can’t be here, Jellal._ They’ll catch you,” Erza whispered in a small voice.

            “I know it’s dangerous but –“

            “ _The guards_. They’ll catch you and take you away again.” Her grip was firm but her eyes were still half closed. “I won’t make it without you. I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt,” she whimpered.

            He realized she was delirious and her mind was stuck back in the tower. “It’ll be okay, Erza.” Jellal’s heart cracked in two and he focused on the washcloth and her hair.

            “Everyone else is dead, Jellal. Everyone. I know they killed the other kids.” A hot tear leaked from her eye and he quickly wiped it away. “I’m so thirsty.”

            “I can’t leave you here alone in the bath, okay? It’s not safe for you.” Erza leaned against the side of the tub and cried steadily. Seeing her so vulnerable and lost in the past made him feel completely useless. All he could do was comb her hair and wait for the fever to go down enough. She sniffled loudly and clung to his wrist. “Erza? Hey, Scarlet, I need you to come back to me.”

            “Hm?” She finally looked up and at him. “Jellal?”

            “Hey, there.” He smiled. “Are you with me this time?”

            “Why am I in the bath?”

            He chuckled lightly. “I came to see you and found you sweating through your blankets with fever. There wasn’t time to go for a healer and I had to bring your fever down.”

            “Am I… naked?”

            “Well –“ Jellal averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Kind of? I couldn’t –“

            “Thank you,” she murmured, interrupting him. “Could you get me a towel, though? And maybe some water?”

            “Of course.” He handed her a towel and left her in the bathroom to climb out herself now that she was lucid. When Jellal returned to her room with a glass of ice water she’d pulled the sheets from her bed and left them in a pile on the floor.

            “I’m sorry to bother you with it, but could you get me some fresh sheets from the closet? I’m feeling pretty dizzy.” He handed her the water and quickly remade her bed. Erza all but fell into it still wrapped in the towel. “Thanks for coming, Jellal.” She reached out and took his hand. “Will you stay with me for a bit before going for Porlyusica?”

            “I will.” He sat on the edge of her bed and pulled the wet strands of hair from her face and neck. “Do you want something else to put on besides the towel?”

            “It’s fine,” she mumbled already half asleep. “You don’t have to come over while I’m sick just to see me naked, Jellal.”

            “Uh, that wasn’t –“ he cut off when her eyes slid shut again and her grasp on his hand slackened. Jellal sighed and touched her cheek with affection.

            Before he left for medical assistance Jellal pressed hips lips to her forehead. Her fever still burned away but it wasn’t the inferno it had been before the bath.

            “I’ll be back,” he whispered before ducking out of her window once more.


	3. Drunk/Sloppy Kiss

            Erza kicked aside an empty bottle and sat next to him on the ground. She sighed and pulled another bottle from his hands.

            “Why are you doing this?”

            “Because I’m a mess, Erza.” He leaned back against the tree and his head lolled to the side. His eyes, even drunk, were filled with years of regret.

            “Well, I already knew that much.” Erza tried to smile at him but her lips only fell back into a frown.

            “Ultear is gone and Meredy depends on me in a way I’m not sure I can provide. I’ve got a guild full of fuck-ups, myself included, and sometimes I just crack.” His eyes rolled heavenward. “I don’t deserve to lead them.”

            “Honestly, I don’t know how Ultear and Meredy put up with you for so long. Are you always this obnoxiously melancholy or is it just because it’s Tuesday?”

            “Just leave me to rot beside this tree and probably no one will notice.”

            “When Meredy said you were in a sorry state I had no idea how generous she was being,” Erza muttered as she stood. She grabbed Jellal’s bicep and hefted him to unsteady feet. He stumbled into her side and hid his face in her shoulder.

            “You smell so nice. I don’t deserve to smell nice things.”

            “Well I’m not going to stop bathing just because you want to punish yourself, idiot.” She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and started to walk.

            “Where’re we going?” His words were heavily slurred.

            “To bed. You don’t need any more drinks, and I didn’t ride all the way out here to make sense of your exhausting ideology of self-hatred.” She directed him to a pitched tent and tugged his cloak from his body. “Can you get your boots off yourself or do you need help?”

            “I can do it,” he mumbled. He didn’t make the effort, though, and just fell back onto his bedroll. Erza groaned in frustration and yanked the boots from his feet. His eyes were already shut when she freed him of the most constricting of his clothes. He could thank her in the morning.

            As her eyes swept over his face she felt overcome with sadness. This man whom she loved beyond all reason hated himself and she couldn’t seem to snap him out of it. It felt a bit like a failure. _Why could he not see his own worth?_

            “I see it,” he whispered so softly she almost missed it. Erza gasped in astonishment. Had she been speaking out loud?

            “You see what?” she asked just to be sure.

            “I see my value, but only to you. You’re the only thing that makes me feel worth anything at all.”

            “Oh, Jellal,” Erza breathed. “You’re worth something to a lot of people. I don’t know how to make you see.”

            “I’m sorry.” His eyes opened and he gazed up at her in a way that almost made him seem sober. “I’m sorry for all of it.”

            Erza didn’t ask what he meant specifically. She didn’t need to, and was honestly tired of hearing his apologies. Her body ached from the hours on horseback and all she’d wanted was to see him. In place of the person she’d traveled so uncomfortably for was this drunk, broken man. And yet she found she loved him no less.

            With a heavy heart Erza lowered herself to the bedroll next to him and gently rested her head on his shoulder. An arm slung itself over her waist and he touched her cheek.

            “Thank you for coming. I’m sor-“ She looked up at him and pressed a finger to his lips.

            “No more.”

            Jellal smiled unevenly and craned his neck down to her and kissed her quickly. It was sloppy. And it was enough.


	4. Awkward Kiss

_**I guess I wasn't linking back to the original prompt post but it's[[here]](http://khirsahle.tumblr.com/post/110478709305/and-done-sorry-i-cant-take-any-more-more). Sorry about that. I'm not trying to encroach on the OP's Gratitude Collection or anything. I found the list amongst a bunch of other kiss prompt memes and liked it the best.** _

* * *

 

 

            There weren’t a whole lot of perks to being so awkwardly large and uncomfortable but Erza was trying to make the best of things. Her armor didn’t fit anymore – not that Jellal would’ve been too happy to see her wearing it anyway – she couldn’t sleep for more than a few hours at a time, her bladder seemed to have shrunk to the size of a pebble, there was always something poking at her ribs, and _goddamn it_ everybody was acting like she was breakable. _However_ , there was one upside.

            Erza grinned as she took another forkful of strawberry cake into her mouth. The dessert plate was perched on the top of her belly and she didn’t even need a napkin! Jellal would argue that she _did_ actually need a napkin because later she would complain of the crumbs in her bra. But for now Erza hummed happily and enjoyed the moment.

            “This is how one gets ants, you know.”

            “Don’t care!” Erza said in a sing-song voice. Jellal sighed and shrugged into his cloak.

            “I have to go out for a bit. You’ll be okay?”

            “Yep.” She licked the fork clean and he didn’t feel like she was paying attention to his words at all. Sometimes he wondered which she loved more: him or the cake.

            “It might be a day or two.”

            “Okay.” Erza stuffed another bite into her mouth and closed her eyes in delight.

            “Are you even listening to me?”

            She rolled her eyes and looked up at him from her position on the couch. “Yes, Jellal. You’re going on a job and I’m stuck here with nothing to do but pee every five minutes and eat cake. Or was there something I missed?”

            He laughed and balanced himself on the back of the couch with one hand. “No that’s about it. Don’t have the baby while I’m gone.”

            “I don’t think I get to make that decision. I understand that babies come on their own schedule.”

            When he leaned down to kiss her goodbye the edge of his cloak nudged the plate of cake just enough to send it sliding over the curve of her belly. He barely caught it before everything splattered all over the floor.

            “That was almost a tragedy.”

            “Almost but not quite,” he said before pressing hips lips to hers with one hand keeping him from falling on her and the other awkwardly clutching the dessert plate.


	5. Angry Kiss

            Erza glared at him when they entered their home and requipped into nothing before shutting herself into the bathroom. He could tell when she was especially angry because normally after a grueling job she’d take her armor off herself for cleaning and maintenance rather than leaving it in her requip space. Today she’d simply abandoned that practice and left him alone.

            Jellal sighed and shrugged off his cloak and armor. His arms ached and he was incredibly tired; the last thing he wanted to do was mess with straps and fasteners and heavy plates. He was still struggling with a strap under his arm when Erza emerged from the shower, thankfully, wrapped in a towel. She approached him and swatted his hands from the buckle.

            “You’ll never get it off at this rate,” she mumbled curtly.

            “We can’t all just requip into nudity, Erza.” He regretted the sarcasm but not enough to apologize. He’d been apologizing for the last twelve hours and, for possibly the first time in recent history, was tired of it. She didn’t respond to him anyway and yanked the armor from his chest, letting the plackart fall to the floor.

            “You can handle the rest.” She left him alone once again and Jellal eased himself out of the remaining pieces. Erza had left him some hot water but not much, which he quickly discovered. Even so, he felt a whole lot better and more prepared to field the death glares of his wife. He didn’t enjoy making her angry but he didn’t regret his actions.

            He found her on the couch with her feet tucked beneath her. She faced away from him and appeared to picking fuzz off a blanket draped over the cushions. Jellal joined her on the sofa and pulled her wet hair from its knot.

            “You’ll have a headache later,” he murmured, running his fingers through it.

            _“Why? Why did you do it?”_ Her question was posed quietly but he could hear the rage simmering beneath the tepid volume. Jellal’s breath left his lungs in a rush. Wasn’t the answer obvious?

            “Because I love you. Don’t you know?” Erza whipped around and he was surprised to see tears leaking from her better eye.

            “How can I make you understand that sacrificing yourself so stupidly… foolishly… _idiotically_ doesn’t make me feel loved, _Jellal!_ _What if you had died?!”_

“But I didn’t.” He tried to keep his voice soft. Erza could not be dealt with by responding with equal force. Not in matters such as these.

            “You could have! If you’d been struck only a breath to the left, you’d be dead.”

            “And had I not intervened you’d be dead right now instead of here with me.”

            “Damn it, Jellal.” She sniffled and angrily swiped at her tears.

            “I won’t apologize anymore, Erza. Not when I don’t mean it. I’m not sorry for saving your life. I’m not sorry for the bruises or the way it hurts to breathe. I’m just not. So you can have your rage. You can fly at me and be angry but I don’t care. Because you’re _here_ and not fucking _dead_.” He frowned and clenched his fists. Backing down wasn’t an option.

            She scowled at him and huffed in lingering irritation. Jellal watched the play of emotions across her face. He couldn’t fault her for the anger. Not after everything they’d suffered to even be in _this_ position. On _this_ couch.

            Without any warning she launched herself at him and forcefully stole a kiss. The pressure on his ribs hurt like he’d been freshly jabbed but it was worth it. Her fingers slid over his face and down his chest stopping on the largest bruise. She didn’t allow him a single breath and he didn’t mind at all.

            “God, you’re such an idiot,” Erza whispered against his lips.

            “Perhaps, but at least I’m _your_ idiot.”


	6. I'm Sorry Kiss

            Jellal hadn’t spoken to her in two days. No written missives, no verbal communication, and she felt their mental link had a solid lock on it. Erza didn’t know what to think and felt incredibly guilty; she’d never pushed him so hard before and as she reconsidered all her arguments the realization that Jellal couldn’t – and shouldn’t – be pushed dawned on her. Did she want a man who needed to be supplicated to stay by her side? Forcing him to do anything with guilt or otherwise wasn’t something she ever wanted to resort to, though, it terrified her to imagine a future without him.

            It seemed that the river banks near Magnolia had always been a place of refuge for Erza. Without really deciding to go there, she always found herself watching the water rush by when she was troubled. This time was no different except in the fact that her problem couldn’t be solved within.

            She sensed when he joined her on the packed dirt of the shoreline but remained silent. There wouldn’t be more than one chance to masterfully deliver an apology and Erza didn’t want to waste it or spiral into tearful beseechments. Finally Jellal sighed and she looked over at him. He smiled crookedly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

            “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or to force you into anything. It’s important to me that when – _if_ – you decide to stay it’s always your choice.”

            “You don’t have to apologize, Erza. Not everything you said was unfair or untrue. In fact, it’s me that’s been the most unfair over the years and for that I apologize.”

            Erza stared out at the water again. “Where do we go from here?”

            “I don’t know.” His fingers twisted in the hair that fluttered around her shoulder. “I don’t know how to make promises to you or how to do anything that’s outside the realm of being a vagabond. I’d like to try, though.” She turned to him.

            “You do?”

            “I do. This distance is making you miserable and I hate it.”

            “Please don’t do anything that you don’t really want just to make me happy.” He grinned again and glanced down in the way she always thought made him look like a boy again.

            “Don’t you see, Erza? Making you happy is what I want. I’m just not that great with the execution.”

            “I’m still sorry,” she offered. “I didn’t mean all of the things I said.”

            “You did and that’s okay. I think I needed to hear them.” Jellal pressed his nose to her cheek and his breath fanning over her neck sent a shiver down her spine. Erza twisted and caught his lips in a kiss. “Will all apologies end in kisses?” he asked with a smile.

            “I think it depends.” Erza laughed softly and looked back out over the water feeling that, once again, the river bank had proved to be a place of resolution.


	7. I've Missed You Kiss

            She paced the floor anxiously. Good sense – and total exhaustion – told her she should be in bed and that Jellal would return at the same time whether she was awake to greet him or not. Wearing through the carpet wouldn’t expedite anything other than the fraying of her nerves; however pregnancy had turned the otherwise rational part of her thinking process into a flurry of wildly improbable fears that ranged from death to severely maimed. Every second that passed without the twist of the door knob made Erza’s mind twist further into the unreal.

            Her lower back started to ache and she finally perched on the edge of the couch. The alert sitting position fell into a slump and eventually her eyes closed despite her efforts to keep them open.

            “…Erza.” His voice came to her softly and he smiled when she finally awoke. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. Are you ready to move to the actual bed?”

            “You’re home!” Jellal chuckled.

            “I’ve been home for an hour.” She noticed his hair was damp and he’d changed from the typical guild cloak and armor.

            “Why didn’t you wake me?”

            “I tried, Erza, but you sleep like the dead lately. I’ve been calling your name for several minutes.”

            “I’m sorry, I wanted to stay up and wait for you.” Jellal took her hand and stood. “I’m glad you’re safe. I worried.”

            “I know you worry, but everything is fine.” He pulled her up next to him and into an embrace. Erza’s emotions tumbled over the edge they’d been resting on all day. Tears came easily now that her body was raging with pregnancy hormones and she hated that she couldn’t control them. She sniffled and Jellal pulled back. “Are you crying? Why?” He wiped the wetness from her face and furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

            “I don’t know. I’m just all over the place today.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and swiftly pressed her lips against his. Erza’s tears mingled between them and she hid her face in his shoulder. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

            “I missed you, too. I don’t like being so far away when you’re like this. It terrifies me.”

            “You can’t be scared. One of us has to be brave and I’m afraid I’m too much of a mess to handle that, okay?” Jellal continued to hold her close and couldn’t stop the flood of affection when her ever-expanding belly nudged him.

            “I think I can manage that.”

            “Can we go to bed now? I need to lay down.” Jellal kissed her one more time before leading the way to their bedroom.


	8. Seductive Kiss

            The sun had long set but the party still raged inside the Fairy Tail guildhall. Drinks flowed and the raucous din showed no signs of slowing down. Such was the nature of this particular guild, though; and an engagement announcement commanded nothing less than total destruction.

            There were a few attendees who were not members of Fairy Tail, but their presence was as welcome as any. One man slouched in a corner booth simply watching the festivities without comment. The main hall was filled with party-goers but he only had eyes for one of them. She stood by the side of the newly engaged Mirajane Strauss looking rather smug even as she tried not to be impressed with the glittering gem on her rival’s finger. Erza, of course, had been engaged for months and was no doubt reminding Mirajane of that fact. Never mind details like a date hadn’t been set or that her fiancé still lived half in the shadows.

            The man didn’t pretend to understand all the facets of Erza’s years-long rivalry with Mirajane but comprehended enough to know better than to interfere. He treasured all of his limbs and didn’t need any more permanent scars. He watched as Mirajane said something to Erza that made her expression darken and as she smiled a seemingly innocent grin, Mira pointed to her flat stomach. The two women exchanged a few more polite, but undoubtedly pointed, pleasantries before Erza stalked across the floor towards the hallway that lead to the basement. He saw his chance and took it.

            She leaned against the wood paneled wall, and startled at his silent approach. “Can you believe her?” Erza hissed venomously. “She thinks this is a competition! I had to let her know that my eggs are inherently more fertile than hers and there’s no way she’s getting pregnant before me.” Jellal slid his hands around her waist and pressed his body against Erza’s. “She’ll be lucky if Laxus has any sperm left what with all that electricity flowing through.”

            He didn’t respond to Erza’s competitive – and somewhat slanderous – ranting. Instead, Jellal ran his nose over the shoulder her dress left bare and planted a kiss in the hollow of her neck.

            “We have to get married first, Jellal. I can’t let her beat me in this. I won’t ever live it down!” Erza went on seemingly unaware of his movements. His fingers wove into her hair and he tugged it from the elaborate twist. “She’s so goddamn smug about everything! And Laxus! Give me a break! I’m sure she’s only marrying him because he’s Makarov’s grandson! Talk about sleeping her way to the top!”

            Jellal’s tongue laved gently over her racing pulse, but he didn’t fool himself. She wasn’t worked up over him, no. She was angry at Mirajane and he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or completely aroused by her rage. He gave up thinking about it because nothing turned him on more than Erza’s way of demanding control over a situation that didn’t necessarily call for it. His laid-back nature didn’t require such things for himself, but watching his fiancée snatch dominance – especially when it didn’t come easy – often presented a very _hard_ problem.

            His hand found its way to the rather indecent slit in her dress and he grasped her exposed thigh.

            “She is… she’s…” Erza finally tripped over her words as his palm came to rest on the very juncture between hip and thigh. “Jellal, what are you doing?” she breathed.

            “I’ll only tell you if you’re done getting off on Mirajane and are ready to focus on me instead.” He pulled away only slightly to look into her eyes. “Are you ready for that, Erza?” His finger hooked into the string of her panties and tugged.

            “But… we’re in a hallway! In the guildhall! Someone could see –“

            Jellal grinned and took her lips in a silencing kiss. The hand that wasn’t lost inside her dress buried itself in her hair and finally he had her attention. Erza’s arms wrapped tightly around him and she opened her mouth to let him in.

            “Are you trying to seduce me, Jellal?” she whispered between kisses.

            “Is it working?” Erza nodded towards the door leading to a linen supply closet tugged him down the hallway and pushed him inside.

            “I’d say so.” The glint in her eye told him that his moment of control had come to an end but Jellal was perfectly okay with that. He’d only needed to convince her to take the reins of something already gone wild.


	9. War's End Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's likely some OOC in this chapter but I couldn't help it. The #9 prompt was probably my least favorite on the list and I wrote three different scenarios, this being the least horrible. I can't skip numbers though because I'm a neurotic freak so that's where I'm at.

            It was a subtle battle; one of narrowed eyes and misplaced personal belongings. Jellal hated it. But he also hated the way Erza dominated the living space they shared. When they’d first moved into the small house everything had seemed perfect; not completely unlike what most married couples refer to as _The Honeymoon Period_. He’d thought it adorable the way her requip dimension wasn’t large enough to hold all her bits of armor and weaponry – not to mention the random items she seemed to think important. However, over more recent months he’d grown increasingly annoyed by her disarray and decided to take action.

            He started by making piles. On any given afternoon when Jellal could be found at home there would be a mound of paraphernalia that had been previously placed at random locations throughout the house. When he’d find a blade or strap or chest guard that didn’t appear to have a home, he’d toss it in the pile. He made sure the pile was in a visible location that Erza couldn’t possibly miss when she returned home.

            At first Erza thought his concern to be cute. Thoughtful even! But then it just didn’t stop. She’d never thought of herself as messy before – because how could a place be messy when she knew where everything was? – but it occurred to her that Jellal just didn’t understand how co-habitation worked. Maybe he just required an explanation. Erza needed her bits and pieces to stay where they were, and he should understand that.

            Jellal did not understand. Before settling in Magnolia all his belongings had fit in a sack and the idea of scattering one’s possessions all across a living space confused him to the point of aggravation. Erza’s response was to collect his most necessary articles of clothing – such as his traveling cloak – and relocate them to completely arbitrary locations. Or she would assume all clothes that weren’t neatly folded and put away were dirty and tossed them to wrinkle in the hamper. Jellal didn’t consider himself to be unconscious about leaving dirty clothes around but what was the harm in letting his cloak lay over the back of the couch until he had a spare moment to hang it on the rack?

            They never discussed the misalignment and simply carried on with passive aggressive means while hoping for a mutually satisfying end. It wasn’t until Lucy made an offhanded joke about the way Natsu sometimes took too many liberties in her apartment that Erza snapped.

            “I bet he leaves his clothes all over the place. That seems to be a thing men feel comfortable doing.” Jellal frowned at Erza and she pretended not to notice.

            “Well, I’m sure Natsu doesn’t have to worry about finding misplaced daggers in his bedsheets. Lucy probably keeps her sharp objects out of soft places.” Lucy’s eyebrows flew up. She’d never seen Jellal and Erza behave so bitterly.

            “That only happened once and it was an accident! No one was hurt!”

            “What about the gardbrace I tripped over in the bathroom last week?”

            “That wouldn’t have happened if you’d just turned the light on,” Erza shot back.

            “It was the middle of the night!”

            “Hey, hey!” Lucy interrupted. “Is there trouble in paradise?”

            “Jellal has boundary issues.”

            “Erza leaves her equipment everywhere.” The both of them continued to bicker uncharacteristically and Lucy finally stepped between them.

            “I think I have a solution,” she said and pulled a golden key from her pouch.

* * *

            “Lucy is brilliant sometimes.” Erza said hugging Jellal’s middle.

            “She is. I can see why she’s so popular in your guild.”

            Jellal and Erza smiled wistfully as they surveyed their newly finished basement. All of Erza’s armor was neatly organized – for now – and the space left room in the closets upstairs for Jellal’s belongings.

            “I’m sorry for misplacing your things,” Jellal said as they prepared to climb the stairs back into the main house.

            “I’m sorry for manhandling your clothes,” Erza replied. She took the first step so they were of equal height and embraced him tightly. “I hate fighting.”

            “Let’s call it growing pains instead of a fight.” She pulled back and smiled at him.

            “That’s much better.” Erza leaned forward and yanked him closer to her by the lapels of his jacket. He grinned mischievously and kissed her – he loved Erza best when she was at her most demanding.


	10. Goodbye Kiss

            She’s watched him duck through her window, slip down her fire escape, and – eventually – walk out their front door so many times it should be routine by now.

            “Be safe.”

            _“Always.”_

            “I love you.”

            _“Forever.”_

            The words were meant to be reassuring and make them both feel less destroyed by yet another goodbye. But that hadn’t ever really been the case. They said them because the silence was unbearable. She couldn’t let him leave without saying something, even if the words had been said dozens of times before.

            More important than the words was what came before them. Jellal never kissed her so desperately as when he left her behind. Erza understood why she couldn’t go with him – she had her own responsibilities the same as he did, but the longing of her heart didn’t care about any of that.

            She never wore armor in these moments. There were to be no hard barriers between them and it was bad enough that he had so many layers. His arm would slide around her waist and despite the sadness hanging in the air he’d smile. Erza thought Jellal’s smile to be the most beautiful thing in the world as it was a rarity for anyone else but her.

            “I don’t want to go,” he’d say. “But I have to.”

            “I know,” she’d whisper.

            Then his lips would descend upon hers and for a few brief seconds the world around them would stop spinning and simply hover. There were always a few softer, lingering kisses before he’d open the door and turn back to her with a grin. And she could never resist the words.

            “Be safe.”

            _“Always.”_

            “I love you.”

            _“Forever.”_

And then she would go about her day and pretend not to wait.


	11. I Almost Lost You Kiss

            He didn’t hesitate before throwing the guildhall doors open and stalking inside. No one got in his way or attempted to stop him – in fact Mirajane smiled sadly and motioned for him to follow her. She led him up a staircase and down a narrow hallway to a door.

            “I’m sorry,” she whispered before disappearing back down the hallway. Jellal ground his teeth and opened the door.

            A candle burned on the side table, and a pot of dry herbs smoked nearby. Porlyusica turned to glare at him from the bedside and Makarov stared silently from a chair in the corner.

            “Don’t disturb her,” the healer commanded. She turned to Makarov and gathered a bag. “I’ll be back at sunrise.”

            Makarov simply nodded, but Jellal was not satisfied.

            “Will she live?” he asked gruffly.

            “Most likely. I’ve removed the poison thorns and treated the wounds.” Porlyusica offered nothing more before leaving him alone with the guildmaster.

            “She shouldn’t have gone alone,” Jellal muttered.

            “I don’t police my S-Class mages. Erza is strong enough to handle herself.” Makarov grunted when he hopped from the chair. “If you want to babysit her perhaps it’s time you rethink your position on joining Fairy Tail. You can’t preach about taking danger on alone when that’s all you ever do.” The old man thoughtfully smoothed his mustache. “Think on it, Jellal.”

            He stared at Erza in the bed for several long minutes taking in her condition. Her skin was pale and in the candlelight her vulnerability frightened him. Doing his best to avoid disturbing her, Jellal knelt down next to the bed. His fingers brushed against her forehead and he found her skin shockingly cold. He wanted to trust Porlyusica but terror seized him. There was no life without Erza and in his grief he tried not to tally the amount of times she’d feared him dead over the years.

            Erza’s breathing was weak but steady and he was afraid if he looked away for even a moment she’d die and he’d miss it. So he kept a vigilant watch.

            The grey light of dawn peeked through the curtained window when Jellal realized he’d fallen asleep. He felt Erza’s hand in his hair and she smiled. Her pallor hadn’t changed – her skin was still cool to the touch and much too pale – but her smile sent the fear of death back into the shadows.

            “What happened?” he asked.

            “It wasn’t a big deal, Jellal. I tangled with a plant that had a mind of its own, I guess. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

            “Erza you almost died. I almost lost you! Do you have any idea –“

            “Think about what you’re asking me before finishing that sentence.” Her lips still held the ghost of a smile but it had turned patronizing.

            “Why did you go alone?”

            “I’m S-Class and no one would doubt my ability to do the job… which I did.”

            “I’ve never been more terrified in my life as when I walked into the guildhall and everyone looked at me like there had been a death. _Your_ death.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “If I accepted Master Makarov’s offer to join Fairy Tail would you stop taking solo missions?”

            Erza smiled and weakly shook her head. “I don’t need a babysitter, Jellal, but I wouldn’t turn down a partner.”

            “I could accept that.” He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth gently.

            “I told you not to disturb my patient!” Porlyusica complained loudly from the doorway. Jellal’s cheeks flushed pink and he shrunk away from the bed to stare at the floor from the corner. Makarov grinned and clasped his hands behind him.

            “I’ll have Mirajane prepare you a stamp.”

            Before the day was out Jellal had a red Fairy Tail stamp on his left shoulder blade. When Erza saw it she only smirked and told him that color looked good on him. To which he replied with a noncommittal sound and a blush the same shade as the stamp.


	12. Kiss on the Nose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight deviation into Mystwalker. Erza Knightwalker has that scar on her nose and I couldn't resist.

            He knew she’d hate it.

            He knew and he did it anyway, the incorrigible bastard. Since the wedding he’d been even more aggravating than before and there were times when Erza wanted to pull her hair out from its roots. _This_ , however, really topped the cake.

            She’d known that, as queen, her position in the Royal Army would need to be filled by another soldier. Instead of a bodyguard, she’d be a person who required guarding. It irked her that she was no longer at the helm of security. Erza was aware that her new set of duties wasn’t nearly as loathsome as other female nobility – at the very least Jellal had spared her _that_ much – but presiding over a royal ball in his absence raised her hackles.

            It should be _her_ giving the visiting heads of state a showing of Edolas’ military might not staring into the void of swirling dresses and pressed suits decorated with overrated medals. Diplomacy and charismatic interaction with the public was Jellal’s strong point, not hers.

            “Do you not like the dress?” The king asked from the doorway of her dressing room.

            “You _know_ it has nothing to do with the dress.” Erza Knightwalker glared at him over her shoulder.

            “So you _do_ like the dress?”

            “Would it make a difference if I didn’t?”

            Jellal chuckled and approached her from behind. “It would make quite a bit of difference, Your Highness.” His hands slid over the silk of her slip dress and around her waist. “I could commission you a new one and order the dressmakers to slave away all night just to make you happy.”

            “Don’t call me that,” she growled and pushed out of his grasp.

            “What shall I call you then? I think the new captain of my personal guard would take offense to you hoarding his title.”

            “I –“ Erza didn’t have an answer. This argument wasn’t a new one and though it irritated her when he used her royal titles, she’d rather focus on the issue at hand.

            “No witty reply today, my queen? Have you no barbs waiting for me on your royal lips?”

            “Must you always behave in this flirtatious, cavalier way? Is my displeasure so unimportant to you?”

            Erza wanted to cling to her anger and – _damn him_ – he knew the way through this particular wall was not force but playfulness. Despite her outward demeanor Erza Knightwalker – former Fairy Hunter and Captain of the Second Magic Division – was an absolute sucker for her husband’s gentle, yet unrelenting, method of invasion.

            The battle would start with a glare from her, and his first attack would inevitably be a touch: possibly on her shoulder or, if she was particularly angry, her waist. Automatically she would deflect with an unrelated argument – generally an expression of irritation at something he’d said or an element of protocol she hated – but the king would never deflate or back down. Instead, he’d parry and strike from the side.

            “Your pleasure, my queen,” he whispered rakishly in her ear. “Is of the utmost importance.”

            Knightwalker bit her lip and almost forgot she was angry… _almost_. She elbowed him weakly. “How can you leave me to the wolves in this way? It’s unfair and cruel.”

            “Dancing ladies are wolves? Perhaps it would please Her Highness if I armed the guests and instructed them to attack you at scheduled intervals? Would that amuse you?”

            She spun to face him and attempted to beat him into submission with a scowl. Jellal grinned at her and pressed her against the vanity. She had no choice but to slide onto its surface in retreat.

            “You mock me.”

            “Ah, but I’d never mock you, Erza. I have given you my right hand, this castle, my kingdom, and most importantly my heart.” In the most infuriating way he took her hand and placed it on his chest. His other hand scandalously grasped her thigh where the slip dress rode up. “Would you deny me one evening of chaperoning the citizens of whom you are beloved?”

            “Beloved is too generous a term, Your Majesty. They tolerate me.”

            “No, Erza, you’ve saved my life far too many times to simply be tolerated.” Jellal stepped between her knees and pressed his forehead against hers. The hand on her thigh circled around to her backside and pulled her closer to him. “It’s just one night, love. _Please?_ ”

            In that moment Erza Knightwalker knew defeat. She could not keep the battlements up in the face of a one man army that reduced her forces to a puddle of royal goo.

            “I suppose it won’t kill me,” she muttered.

            “I would slay the entire den of wolves if you are left with even a single scratch.” Jellal teased. Erza finally smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

            “You’re a bully of a king.”

            “Perhaps my methods are questionable but results are more important.” He roughly tightened the arm around her waist and smiled. “I’ll leave you to dress now.” Jellal gently kissed the scar that stretched across her nose.

            As always, Erza was left pondering how she could possibly have lost yet another argument. She sat perched on the edge of her vanity feeling an entirely new form of frustration. Later, she decided wickedly, she’d make him pay.


	13. Kiss on the Ear

            It took her some time to learn all his sensitivities. Erza believed the lengthy learning curve was because of a few reasons, the biggest being that Jellal himself hadn’t been aware of his preferences. However, she thought his inexperience to be her gain and took great pleasure in finding all the places that made the hair on his arms stand at attention.

            Erza was a naturally ostentatious woman and under any other circumstances she’d have been frustrated with Jellal’s understated nature. Instead of pushing him for more public displays of affection, though, she opted to save her seductions for when they were alone… and when he least expected it.

            On this particular evening she caught him in the shower. A wet, unsuspecting Jellal was her favorite. Erza took a moment to admire the way the water droplets slid over the taut muscles of his back and bit her lip as they flexed beneath his skin when he reached up to slick his hair from his face. Just as he started to turn around, Erza moved in for the kill. Her arms wound around his waist and she pressed herself against him.

            “Erza, what –“

            “I thought you might need some help,” she said over the sound of rushing water.

            “Help with what exactly?” Jellal asked, grinning.

            “The usual.” Erza kissed his left shoulder blade and stepped around him into the spray.

            “Have we become so cliché that there’s a _usual?_ ” She did not reply, and instead, lifted her arms to thoroughly wet her hair. “ _You_ are a temptress, Erza.”

            She smiled sinfully and hooked her arms around his neck. “So you’re tempted?”

            “I am _always_ tempted,” he murmured lowering his lips to her cheek. “And don’t think I didn’t know you were watching me a moment ago.” Jellal wove his fingers into her wet hair and held her solidly against his body. “As much fun as it is to figure you out, Erza, there’s always one spot, right here,” his lips traced a line from cheek to ear. “That makes your knees buckle.”

            “How –“

            “I’m a fast learner.” Jellal brushed a feather light kiss over the shell of her ear and another on her jaw directly below it. As predicted, she sucked in a shaky breath and clung to his shoulders.

            Later, as she lay amongst the twisted, and slightly wet, sheets Erza considered his words. It would seem she wasn’t the only one enjoying the learning process.


	14. Kiss on the Neck

            Normally when he woke on especially cold mornings, his hand would slide over her hip and around her middle to pull her body into his. Today, however, his fingers brushed something that felt much too fuzzy to be bed sheets. Jellal lifted himself onto his elbow and peered over Erza’s side. Wrapped head to toe in fleece pajamas was the tiny body of their daughter.

            Her hair, a slightly darker shade than her mother’s, mingled with Erza’s on the pillow. He liked to think that she resembled Erza more than him even though his wife joked that her personality was nearly a carbon-copy of his before… well, _before_. His daughter was bold, and charismatic. She often stood too close and spoke too much. It broke his heart to think of someone crushing her spirit, and wondered if Erza felt the same way about him.

            Jellal reached over Erza’s side and brushed the wispy strands of hair from his daughter’s forehead. She stirred before pushing her face back into the pillow. Her thumb drifted toward her mouth, but he redirected it to the piped edge of the thick blanket. She’d only just started to quit the habit on her own and if she woke sucking on her thumb, it wouldn’t leave her mouth all day.

            Erza startled him by grabbing his hand and pulling his arm around her.

            “What are you doing awake?” she whispered.

            “Nothing,” he replied. “Just go back to sleep.”

            Jellal pressed a soft kiss to the side of Erza’s neck and tried to focus on how lucky he was and not on how easy it would be to lose it all.


	15. Kiss on the Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Mystwalker.

            For a woman as brazen in battle as she was, he found it odd that she didn’t want him to gaze too long upon her scars. To him, they were marks of survival, but he suspected that, to her, they represented an ugliness she’d rather leave behind.

            There was one such mark on her back that she particularly hated. The angry way her skin had knitted back together hinted at sloppy battlefield medical practice. When humidity hung in the air and rain pounded the walls of the castle she’d prowl the halls with an abnormal stiffness. They both knew the king noticed the change but he didn’t question her and neither did she offer an explanation.

            His mid-day meal grew cold on the table before him and the kitchen attendant cleared his throat awkwardly.

            “Would you like me t –“

            “No,” he cut the man off brusquely. “No, _thank you_. I will find her myself.” Jellal left his council chambers, and lunch, behind. The rain came down in steady streams and had been for days. He understood this to be typical for the season in Edolas, but he didn’t wish to see his lover – and future wife – suffer so.

            He found her stretched out on the bed they _unofficially_ shared with a heated bottle of water draped across her lower back. Jellal sighed and crawled onto the empty side of the bed. Captain Knightwalker attempted to glare at him, but only turned away instead.

            “Erza why do you hide from me? I would ease your pain if I could.”

            “There is no respite from a pain such as this.”

            “We have many doctors employed here in the castle. Surely one of them –“

            “No.”

            “Erza –“ She turned back to him and there were ghosts of tears gathering at the edges of her eyes.

            “Let me have this pain. It’s old and terrible, but it is _mine_.” Though she lay prone, her words were fierce.

            “I hate to see you this way,” he said softly. “What can I do?”

            “You can stop hovering like a nursemaid.”

            “I am King, Captain Knightwalker, if I want to hover no one in Edolas could stop me.” He touched the scarlet hair that spread over the pillow. “I could listen or help you forget… if that’s your wish.”

            She smiled sadly. “Some failures should never be forgotten, Jellal.”

            The king twirled a strand of hair around his finger thoughtfully. It was rare that his captain called him by his first name. “So there’s nothing I can do? Is the heated water enough?” Jellal touched the soft bottle on her back and knew the water had gone cold. “I’ll have another brought for you.”

            “It is inappropriate for a king to handle such tasks,” Knightwalker grumbled, attempting to push herself into a sitting position.

            “No, what’s _inappropriate_ , Captain Knightwalker, is _you_ telling _me_ what I can and cannot do. Stay put.” Jellal pulled the water bottle from her back and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “You don’t have to hide from me, Erza,” He said before sliding off the edge of the mattress.

            When he returned with a freshly filled water bottle Jellal found Erza still on her stomach staring out the window at the rain. She didn’t speak or look at him. He sighed and grazed his fingers over the scar on her back before pressing his lips to the jagged line of flesh.

            Captain Knightwalker hid her face in the pillow but he didn’t miss the sniffle or the trembling of her muscles as he positioned the heated bottle.


	16. French Kiss

            The first time he kissed her it was sweet. He seemed unsure in the way his lips brushed against hers and his bashfulness made her cheeks feel warm - she half wanted to hide her face in his cloak. Their second kiss was far more desperate and she had clung to his shoulders with frustrated resignation. When Jellal kissed her for the third time she didn’t let him go. Erza was _tired_ of letting go. Her fingers dug into the layers of clothing he wore until she could feel his body beneath. She clung to him tightly and pushed him into the wall.

            “Don’t go,” she whispered. Jellal pulled back from her and regarded her expression with what she assumed was guilt. “I don’t want to talk about the past or the future, Jellal. I don’t want to talk at all.”

            Jellal’s thumbs ran over the edge of her jaw and for a brief moment Erza thought he might push her away.

            “I want you to kiss me like...” She paused and felt her throat tightening. “Kiss me like you’re never going to leave.”

            He frowned and let his forehead drop against hers. “I wish –“

            “Just kiss me, Jellal.”

            Erza was surprised at the sudden urgency of his lips on hers. Before she could register what he’d done, her back was pressed against the wall and his fingers were grazing the skin beneath the hem of her shirt. Had it been untucked before? She wasn’t sure. Jellal kissed her in the most intensely distracting way that she didn’t think twice about parting her lips when his tongue brushed against them.

            He tasted of cinnamon, she decided, and the spice only served to fuel the quickly building fire inside of her. Erza shoved his cloak over his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Her hands wormed their way through his jacket and under his shirt until the found the warm skin of his chest. Without warning he broke the kiss and his quickened breaths fanned over her wet lips.

            “I won’t leave you,” he whispered. “Not tonight.”

            Erza smiled and ran her hands around his hips and to his back. Never stopping contact she embraced him tightly and leaned upward to kiss him again. “Thank you.”


	17. Shy Kiss

            Jellal didn’t remember much about his home, but he knew there’d been a garden. He couldn’t recall his mother’s face, but he could picture the varieties of flowers with nearly perfect detail. He didn’t linger on why his memory was so selective because it seemed a futile thing.

            There were no flowers on the island only tufts of scraggly weeds. He didn’t know how the weeds were possible at all and supposed the coming and going of sea birds could’ve brought the sparse flora with them from the mainland. Out of all the things that should’ve depressed him the lack of greenery hurt the most.

            He’d been a slave for an indeterminate amount of time – something his young mind could only quantify as _long_ – when he saw a flash of color so bright, so beautiful, so _vibrant_ that he stopped what he was doing, risking the attention of the guards, and stared. Later he would notice that her face was streaked with dirt and tears, she cowered more than she should – cowering only provided entertainment for their captors, and she flinched at every touch; but for the moment Jellal was entranced.

            He wanted to approach her, but she had a bodyguard of sorts. Simon, a boy she’d arrived with, scowled at anyone who got too close. When he finally made it to her side he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to touch her hair. Her name was Erza and it was the most beautiful, but lonely, name he’d ever heard. With perhaps too much familiarity he dubbed her Erza Scarlet and the shy way she smiled at him in thanks made his chest puff with boyish pride.

            The north side of the island was underdeveloped and none of the slave or supply ships ever docked there. It wasn’t often that Jellal managed to slip past an inattentive guard, but when he did there was an outcropping of bricks that was just tall enough to hide a boy of his size. For the first time in weeks the rain had let up and Jellal was surprised to find a blanket of bright purple flowers carpeting a portion of the rocks. He gently pulled a few blooms free and tried to situate them in his pocket without crushing the petals. All thoughts of a break were lost and he quickly returned to his group.

            That night he found Erza alone and peering out of the barred windows. She’d been crying again and he didn’t need to ask why.

            “I got you something,” Jellal whispered. Her face crinkled in confusion and he pulled the purple flowers from his pocket. To his disappointment a few of the petals were damaged but the smile on Erza’s face when she saw them eased his sorrow.

            She took one of the blooms and touched the petals carefully. “These are for me?”

            “Yep. I saw them today and thought of you.”

            “They’re so pretty,” she murmured.

            “Very pretty,” he replied. Jellal reached out to tuck a strand of dirty hair behind her ear. “Here, I think my moth-” he paused and shoved the memory down. “You can wear it like this.” He stuck the stem of the bloom behind her ear.

            Erza smiled brightly at him and he couldn’t stop himself from grinning in return. “Thank you so much,” she whispered.

            “They won’t last very long but I wanted you to have them.” He ran a hand through his own hair and suddenly felt self-conscious. Erza leaned towards him and shyly kissed his cheek. It happened so fast he almost didn’t believe it happened… except for the way his face felt hot and tingly.

            “Thank you, Jellal,” she said once more before disappearing into the shadows of their cell.


	18. Surprised Kiss

            Jellal was a horrible shopper. He understood the concept of gift giving on a person’s birthday and for certain holidays, but the act of selecting a gift eluded him. Meredy had grown exasperated with his indecisive methods and abandoned him to his own devices hours before. That’s how Jellal found himself in an odd little shop on a street he didn’t recognize in the city center of Magnolia.

            The shelves were filled with bits and pieces of equipment he’d never require as a heavenly body mage. The stars were a part of his magic and he didn’t need something like a telescope to see them. If he wanted he could summon an entire constellation and hold it in the palm of his hand. None of that helped him in the current situation, though.

            “Jellal?” A familiar voice from behind him called quietly. He turned and found Lucy smiling up at him with her hands clasped behind her back. “Doing some shopping?” she asked innocently.

            “Uh, well –“ He was embarrassed to be caught in such a pathetic situation. “Erza’s birthday is tomorrow.”

            “Last minute shopping, huh?” Lucy glanced around the shop. “I can understand why someone like you or I would be in a place like this, but Erza has more… _deadly_ tastes.”

            Jellal sighed. “I considered something like weaponry, but realized I had no idea what I was doing. Meredy suggested clothing but that… well _that_ situation escalated quickly and I felt even _more_ out of place.” His face warmed at the memory of tables and shelves stacked with tiny, lacy things.

            “I see,” Lucy said with a knowing smile. “Are you still feeling a little lost?”

            “Yes,” he admitted. “I’m sorry to trouble you with all that. I’ve never really had anyone to… well…”

            Unexpectedly she reached out and squeezed his arm. “It’s no trouble! I can try and give you a hand. I promise I won’t lead you into any lingerie stores.” She offered with a wink.

            “That would be… helpful. Thank you, Lucy.”

            Jellal followed Lucy up and down the rows of eclectic items, watching as she ran her fingers over different shelves. Suddenly she turned to him.

            “Maybe instead of trying to pick something out that suits Erza’s tastes, you could get something that’s representative of you?”

            “I’m afraid I’m still drawing a blank.”

            “This particular store tends to cater to celestial-type wizards, and if I’m not mistaken your magic is along those lines, yes?”

            “It is, yes.”

            “We aren’t that different in magical terms, Jellal.” Lucy smiled at him. “Come with me to the front of the shop, I saw something up there earlier I think you’ll like.”

* * *

 

            Erza’s gasp when she opened the tiny gift box was exactly what he’d been hoping for. She touched the animated glass pendant that swirled with various blues, purples, and blacks with reverence.

            “It’s a galaxy pendant enchanted to contain an image of the heavens. At night the stars inside will glow.” Erza didn’t respond and he panicked. “I know it’s not something you’d probably pick for yourself or what you probably wanted –“

            “Jellal, it’s beautiful.” She turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, and his eyebrows flew up when she surprised him with a kiss. “I love it,” Erza whispered.

            She turned her back to him and pulled her hair over her shoulder. Jellal draped the necklace around her neck and attached the clasp. When she faced him again he brushed his fingers over the tiny glass charm and sighed contentedly. It had indeed been the perfect gift and he owed Lucy a very big favor in return.


	19. Sad Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Mystwalker and it is sad.

            The mood in the castle matched the dark clouds that hovered in the sky. There hadn’t been any rain but the threat was enough to make even the King lose the last of his hope. It had been a difficult few months for his wife. She’d been sick more often than not, but all the doctors assured them that sickness wasn’t an abnormal experience during pregnancy. Erza was still young and healthy and there had been no ill-projections or warnings.

            It was their optimism that led him to believe she would be okay for a week or two while he traveled to the neighboring border for diplomatic talks. There shouldn’t have been a problem.

            By the time he’d gotten word of the Queen’s condition the message was several days old. When he returned to Edolas, dirty and hard-ridden, the child had already been lost. The King stormed through the hallways and corridors of the castle. His attendant chased after him retrieving discarded articles of traveling clothes.

            The very same doctors who’d assured him his wife was completely healthy and fine hung their heads and averted their eyes in his presence. Jellal wasn’t a man prone to fits of temper or rage and he understood that pregnancies failed with sometimes no perceivable cause, but he couldn’t stop the dark glare he shot at the group of them that loitered outside of the private chambers he shared with Erza.

            He found her on the window seat with her knees pulled into her chest. She didn’t look at him.

            “You’re too late,” Erza whispered. “And it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. You shouldn’t have left the talks.”

            “Of course I should’ve,” he said quietly joining her on the bench. “Do you honestly expect me to leave you to handle this alone?”

            She shrugged despondently. “It was just a tiny thing. My body wasn’t even showing anything yet.”

            “Don’t do that.”

            “Do what?”

            “Don’t show me the same face you show everyone else. I know you well enough to see this hurts you.”

            “It’s fine.” She swung her legs over the edge of the ledge and allowed a curtain of her hair to hide her face. “They tell me I should be fit to try again in a –“

            “You’re not a mare or a dog, Erza! You’re my wife, and I’ll have anyone who speaks to you in such an insensitive way reprimanded.” Jellal slid next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. For the first time since he’d returned from Earthland he thought her vulnerable. “Look at me.”

            She didn’t respond at first. Erza sat under his arm and twisted her fingers over one another. When she finally looked up at him he saw her sadness and it made him feel utterly powerless. A world in which Erza Knightwalker shed tears and gazed at him in such an empty, crumpled way broke his heart.

            “I’m sorry,” she whispered brokenly. “I don’t know what I did wrong.”

            “You didn’t do anything wrong, love. No one blames you.” Jellal pulled her tighter against his side. “ _I_ don’t blame you.”

            He watched her stare at her fidgeting fingers. “I don’t know how to reconcile losing something I didn’t really have much of to begin with.”

            “We can work on that together.” The king stood and pulled his queen into his arms and allowed a few tears to fall into her hair.

            “I’m glad you came back,” Erza mumbled. “I needed you here.”

            “I will always come to where you need me, Erza. I’m the king and no one could’ve kept me away.”

            “And the talks?”

            “I don’t give a fuck about the talks.”

            Though completely inappropriate his answer seemed to satisfy her. Erza sniffled and wiped her tears on his shirt. “You smell like horses.”

            “Well, I did just spend quite a long time on one.” He smiled sadly down at her and kissed the tears from her cheeks.

            “Will we be okay?” she asked and Jellal understood her question to umbrella many things.

            “I promise.” Erza nodded and laid her head against his chest to stare out the window at the rain that had finally started to fall.


	20. Exhausted Parents Kiss

            Erza threw back the blankets and sighed. The baby was screaming again and even though she already knew the source of Rosemary’s discomfort, she couldn’t just let the crying go on. Just as she prepared herself to sit up and face the horrible midnight music, Jellal placed a hand on her arm.

            “I’ll get this one, okay?”

            “Are you sure?” She asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “She can go forever sometimes and I know you’re tired.”

            “I’m fine. I _want_ to. I was gone for a week and it’s definitely my turn.” He smiled at her before leaving their bedroom.

            Rosemary’s face was red and streaked with tears. Jellal lifted her from the crib and held her against his chest. He ran his finger gently over her inflamed gums and felt the first protrusions of teeth beneath the surface. Quickly, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and carried his crying daughter to the kitchen. She didn’t calm herself until he pulled a frozen washrag from the freezer and stuck the tip of it in her mouth.

            “Is that better?” he asked. “I’m sorry it hurts.” Jellal settled into the rocking chair. “You change so quickly I feel like just a week can go by and I miss too much.”

            Rosemary clutched the rag and chewed aggressively on the chilled edges while staring up at him.

            “I know your mom can handle everything but she shouldn’t have to. I’m not taking any more jobs for a while.” He ran his hand over the downy soft hair on her head and smiled. “I want to see all your teeth as they come in and not just once they’re already here.”

            She stopped munching on the cloth and smiled up at him. He thought maybe the pain had passed but just in case redirected a new corner of the rag back into her mouth. Rosemary fixated on his face and continued to eye him until she yawned. Jellal tossed aside the damp rag and held her against his chest once more. She clutched at his shirt and sighed when he set the chair rocking.

            It wasn’t until nearly four in the morning when the baby drifted off to sleep again. Jellal waited another ten minutes to return her to the crib partly because he didn’t want to wake her again and partly because watching her sleep was the most breathtaking thing he’d ever experienced. Rosemary was a tiny little person that he’d made with Erza and the very concept of it sometimes blew his mind with its beauty.

            When he crawled back into bed Erza rolled over and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Is she okay?”

            “She’s fine. Her teeth are coming in, I guess.”

            “They are and it makes her very upset. Did you find the washrags in the freezer?”

            “I did.”

            “Mm, good.” Erza opened her eyes and smiled up at him and he was reminded of their daughter. “Thank you for getting up with her.”

            “I didn’t mind at all.” Jellal brushed his fingers over her cheek.

            “You’ll be exhausted in the morning,” she said quietly.

            “It’s worth it. She smiled at me.”

            Erza laughed and kissed him tiredly. “Get some sleep.”


	21. Jealous Kiss

            Erza didn’t consider herself the jealous type. She never minded if Jellal spoke with or maintained friendships and working relationships with other women. She wouldn’t bat an eyelash if he were alone with someone or even shared a meal without her. Their love was so solid that Erza didn’t think anything could shake its foundation. But that was before Ginger.

            The worst part of the situation was that keeping the cat had been her idea. Jellal had found her cowering behind a garbage bin hiding from a group of stray dogs and brought her home. His intention was to simply feed her and then relocate her to a shelter in town. However the sight of Jellal caring for such a tiny helpless creature and the catharsis it seemed to bring him made Erza smile. She encouraged him to let the kitten stay.

            It had been three months since Ginger had first curled up on the edge of their bed and Erza’s resentment was growing. Their evenings used to be spent in close and quiet quarters. Jellal would run his fingers through her hair and tell her about his day as his lips brushed against her temple. At some point she would slide into his lap and they’d usually end up leaving a trail of clothes leading to the bedroom.

            But no more!

            Now Ginger’s fur commanded Jellal’s attention. Erza would look on, trying to contain her scowl, and sometimes she would swear that the usurping cat would shoot her a triumphantly smug glance. He would speak to the salaciously purring creature in the low, soothing voice that used to be reserved only for her. The jealousy burned hotly in her chest.

            On one particular evening Erza watched with not at all concealed disgust as Ginger meowed and mewled like the man-stealing harlot she was as Jellal scratched beneath her chin. With a frustrated huff Erza stood from the couch.

            “I’m going to bed,” she said curtly and left him with his new girlfriend. Erza shut the bedroom door behind her and requipped into a nightgown. As she was yanking the sheets down with an angry sort of grace, Jellal cracked the door open and peeked through.

            “Erza?” he said softly. “Are you upset? You seem upset.”

            “I’m fine.”

            “You aren’t fine.” Jellal stepped into the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. “You can’t tell me what’s bothering you?”

            Erza’s jaw twitched. He was doing that thing with the tone of his voice that would only lead to her caving. And Erza didn’t want to cave. As much as she’d like to think her reasons for holding out were because her feelings were completely valid and the cat was stealing him away from her – she knew her clenched jaw was actually because her behavior was utterly irrational and stupid.

            Erza turned and pressed one knee into the mattress. She sighed and opened her mouth to speak but Ginger interrupted. The cat pushed the bedroom door open fully with her nose and leapt onto the bed. Jellal scooped her up and Erza frowned. She reached over to click off the lamp and crawled into bed facing away from Jellal.

            “I’m just tired.”

            She heard Jellal sigh and leave the room. He didn’t return for several minutes and when he did the door clicked shut behind him. Erza listened as his clothes hit the floor and felt the mattress dip behind her with his weight. She half expected him to just accept her silence but instead his arm slid over her hip and around her waist.

            “Please tell me you’re not jealous of the cat,” he whispered in her ear. “Tell me I’m wrong about that and it’s something else that’s been irritating you lately.”

            Erza bit her lip. How could he have guessed?

            “Erza?” Jellal propped himself up on one elbow and pushed her onto her back. She tried to glare up at him but he smiled. “You _are!_ I was hoping I’d misinterpreted.” His thumb drew absent circles on her stomach. “Talk to me, Erza.”

            Later she would wonder if it was the weight of her jealousy finally snapping or the way he touched her so familiarly or the way his hair brushed her skin when he leaned down to kiss her collarbone… whatever the reason was, Erza suddenly leaned up and took his lips in a fierce kiss. A surprised sound rumbled through his chest before his hand pressed against her back, anchoring her to him.

            “Are you leaving me for Ginger?” she asked with a self-depreciating grin.

            “Well…” He pulled a contemplative face, and laughed when she tried to shove him off her. “I’m kidding, Erza. You’re the first and only redhead that owns all of my heart.”

            “Does she have to sleep in our bed? I can handle the love-fest on the couch every evening but can’t we have this space to ourselves?”

            “From now on the cat can sleep in the living room. I can’t have my main girl sleeping in the same bed as my side-piece.”

            “Your… _what?_ ”

            “Erza, you’re taking this way too seriously. Ginger is just a cat. She keeps me company when you leave on jobs and the house feels a lot less lonely.”

            “I suppose when you put it like _that_ …” She suddenly felt ridiculous. “Keep your side-piece, Jellal, just not in our bed.”

            “You’re a generous woman, Erza.” Jellal smiled and kissed her in that slow way that always made her insides curl with anticipation. His hand slid up her thigh and beneath the hem of her nightgown.

            The things he did to her with that hand made her wonder what on earth she had been jealous of to begin with.


	22. Giggly Kiss

            Jellal had never actually seen Erza drunk, but he’d heard enough stories to seriously consider walking right back out the front door when he returned home to one and a half empty wine bottles on the dining table. But, being the selfless guy he was, he couldn’t leave Erza alone without at least making sure she was okay.

            He left his cloak and boots in the front room and started to make his way through the house as quietly as possible just in case she was already asleep. His circuit came to an end in the bedroom where he found the bed still immaculately made. There was no trace of Erza anywhere. Her absence was an alarming peculiarity. The only thing more dangerous than a drunken Erza, was a drunken Erza freely roaming the streets of Magnolia. Jellal sighed and resigned himself to the task of setting back out into the night to find her. He reached over to switch off the bedside lamp, turned around… and nearly leapt right out of his skin.

            Erza was perched on the edge of the dresser barely clothed, and with a grin that teetered between incredibly sexy and downright terrifying – he couldn’t actually decide which. _Had she been there the whole time?_ With equal parts fear and desire he watched as she slid off the surface of the chest of drawers and prowl toward him in a way that very much reminded him of a tiger stalking prey.

            “You’re home,” she purred.

            “Uh, yes… Erza, have you been drinking?” She reached out and touched the collar of his shirt before working the buttons free with a surprising dexterity. “There’s some empty bottles on the table…”

            “So what if I have?” Erza licked her lips and pushed the shirt over his shoulders. He couldn’t even bring himself to stop her – drunk or not.

            “Well, drinking alone isn’t really… _ideal_.”

            “You can have some if you want.” Her fingers traced the muscular outlines on his chest. “Then I won’t be alone.”

            “I think I’ll pass.” He studied the precise way she unbuckled his belt. “You know, this isn’t how I pictured you after drinking. I’ve heard some things.”

            “You talk too much,” she said pushing the waistband of his pants over his hips and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her kisses tasted like pink dessert wine. He didn’t protest as she shoved him into their bed and crawled over him. “Jellal,” she whispered, brushing her lips over his ear.

            “Yeah?” The way her fingernails raked over his chest left him breathless. Instead of responding verbally Erza broke out into giggles.  He quirked an eyebrow warily. Without any warning she slid off him and left an airy kiss on his cheek mid-laugh.

            “G’night,” she murmured just before going totally limp and falling asleep.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jellal whispered in disbelief.

            Despite the still-growing problem under the bedsheet, he figured a flirtatious teasing Erza who passed out mid-seduction was better than a dangerously angry one.


	23. Last Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to tinker with this prompt to make it a little less sad because the next two will be awful.

            They had a system. Anytime one of them would leave home they’d start counting. Erza’s tallies began with days, but Jellal counted hours. He’d spent enough time away from her to understand how precious even blocks of sixty minutes were. It wasn’t a contest to see who cared more and he didn’t want Erza to see it that way, so he never told her when his internal clock started ticking… and he certainly didn’t mention that he started counting the second his lips parted from hers for the last time.

            Jellal always made it a point to kiss her goodbye. Neither of them voiced the fact that this practice wasn’t rooted in simple domestic habit, but in a fear that the goodbye kiss would be the final one. In his head, Jellal called it Last Kiss Time – a period of time that began with the last kiss they shared before parting, and ended when they were reunited.

            He hadn’t meant for Erza to find out about any of that, and she wouldn’t have… if Erik hadn’t opened his big mouth. The uncanny ability he had to – even unwittingly – hear the thoughts of people around him blew his secret system right out of the water. Jellal wasn’t sure which was actually worse: the members of his guild seeing his face turn a very unprofessional shade of pink or the smirk that had curled Erza’s lips when she’d found out about it.

            “So, Last Kiss Time, huh?” She grinned and propped her chin on her hand. Jellal sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward. He didn’t have to look at her to know her teeth bit playfully on her bottom lip.

            “Can we let it go?”

            Erza laughed and leaned over him. “No, I think I need to hear more about this special time zone of yours.” He toyed with the sheets and tried not to look at her despite the close proximity.

            “It’s not that big of a deal…”

            “It’s a huge deal, Jellal,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know you were doing that. Why didn’t you say anything?”

            “Because… because it’s a little embarrassing.”

            Erza quirked an eyebrow. “Why?”

            “I didn’t want you to think it was a competition or that I was being too clingy.”

            “Jellal.” She propped herself on his chest and placed her hands on either of his cheeks. “Look at me.”

            His eyes met hers and she smiled.

            “We’ve spent a lot of time apart. I can’t believe you’d think I would be annoyed by any of this. It means a lot to me that you’d be so concerned with the exact number of hours we spent away from one another.”

            “It was fourteen years for me, Erza,” he whispered. “Fourteen years that were completely wasted, and half of which I… well I kind of wanted you dead so… yeah. I count hours.”

            “I’m sorry,” she murmured, planting a kiss on his chest.

            “Do you want me to stop counting so obsessively?”

            “No.” She grinned. “I want you to love me in whatever way makes you happy, and if counting the hours we spend apart from the second you kiss me goodbye is the best way for you, well, that’s okay.” Erza glanced at the clock.

            “What is it?”

            “Well, it’s been about an hour since I had you last and I think that’s enough recovery time.” She slid her body onto his and sat up. “Can I call it your Recovery Clock? Or maybe Erza’s Sexy Time?”

            Jellal shook his head and tried to keep a straight face. “Don’t sully the Last Kiss Time with something tasteless like that.”

            “Tasteless,” she exclaimed mockingly. “How dare you!” He grabbed her hips and flipped her on her back.

            “I love you, Erza,” he whispered, kissing her softly.

            “The clock is ticking, Jellal.”

            He decided on Recovery Clock and his internal timer started… _now._


	24. Returned From the Dead Kiss

            When the letter came Erza didn’t believe it. The words on the paper seemed to be in a foreign language and meant nothing. She shrugged and tossed the missive aside. Natsu didn’t react and took his cues from Erza. Lucy and Gray shared a concerned glance that she chose to ignore. Makarov frowned deeply.

            “He’s fine,” she insisted and walked out of the guildhall.

* * *

 

            Confusion wrinkled her features when Meredy offered her the folded coat. Erza could see it wasn’t in good condition and a bloodstain peeked from the neatly arranged edges.

            “I’m sorry,” Meredy whispered. Tears leaked from her eyes and she chewed on her lips.

            “I don’t… _what?_ ” Erza’s words came out in a jumble and she stared at the offering. She wouldn’t touch it.

            “Didn’t you get my letter?” The other woman’s head tilted to the side and her fingers dug into the fabric of the coat. Lucy stepped toward Meredy while Gray and Natsu flanked Erza.

            “I did but… what is _this?_ ”

            “Erza –“ Lucy began softly.

            “I’m sorry but it’s all I could find,” Meredy choked out. She shoved the folded coat at Erza a second time. “He would’ve wanted you to have it.”

            “I don’t understand.” Erza’s hands balled into tight fists. “He’s _fine_.” The assertion didn’t feel completely out of line. She’d heard Jellal Fernandes was dead plenty of times before. This was no different. He was just… he was _fine_.

            Natsu placed a hand on Erza’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Erza, I think –“

            “This is absurd.” She grabbed the coat from Meredy and stalked from the guildhall leaving behind a sobbing girl and three very concerned friends.

* * *

 

            She stared at the coat from the edge of her bed. After returning home she’d left it on the surface of her vanity and hadn’t touched it since. Now that sun had set and she was alone in the darkness, reality was starting to gnaw.

            Jellal was dead and this bloody, frayed coat was all she had left.

            Erza’s throat closed up and tears left hot trails down her cheeks. One hand covered her mouth in horror and the other clutched at the blankets. A sob echoed in her empty bedroom and Erza slid from the mattress and onto the floor. A rolling boil of emotions burned her from the inside and she cried out in something that began as frustration and ended in despair. Once again Jellal had left her alone and empty. She hated him.

            But she loved him too. She loved him so much that her chest ached with the loss. There were so many things they hadn’t had the chance to share and now they’d never have the opportunity. Erza reached up and dragged the coat down from the vanity. She unfolded it and stared at the piping and embroidery. Her fingers ran lightly over the design that decorated the sleeves.

            The first time she’d seen him in this coat had been just before the Grand Magic Games. He’d barely brushed his lips against hers that day before spouting a clumsy lie about having a fiancée. When she’d finally broken through all his walls and he’d stayed with her overnight this same coat had been left, forgotten, on her bedroom floor. And now the damn thing would be all she’d have of him for the rest of her life.

            Erza buried her face in the lining and inhaled deeply. Her heart broke even further when she realized it smelled of nothing but fabric soap. Of course it did. Meredy must have tried to clean it before handing it over. Which meant the bloodstains that were left must not have been the whole of it. Meredy had also said the coat was all she could find… which implied a lot of things Erza didn’t want to think about.

            That night – and many nights after – she slept with her face pressed to the lapels of Jellal’s coat. It didn’t help, but she did it anyway.

* * *

 

            Erza didn’t retire the coat to her closet for months. Even then she’d still absently run her fingers over the heart-like design that lined the long sleeves when she’d see it hanging. The tightness in her chest hadn’t loosened at all but she could breathe again and had managed to pack away most of her grief. Though, she didn’t think the dull film that clouded her life now would ever be cleaned away.

            Lucy did her best to return their team to a sense of normalcy, and Erza really really tried along but she knew her act wasn’t convincing. She wasn’t sure if she kept pretending for herself or everyone else.

            She refused to go down the path that Cana so freely offered and spent her evenings sipping tea instead of liquor. Wrapped in a bathrobe and warming her hands around a steaming mug, Erza stared out into the night. The cold didn’t bother her and she rather enjoyed the way the icy prickle made her feel something other than the numbness that still had her in its claws. She stayed by the open window until her cup was empty and the night had completely blanketed the city.

            The soft knock at her door was a surprise. Visitors at such a late hour were not even a rarity, but a non-occurrence. With a frown Erza left the mug in her sink and pulled open the front door.

            Her hands shook and heart thudded painfully in her chest. She couldn’t breathe.

            “Erza,” he whispered.

            She continued to stare in naked shock and confusion. Jellal leaned heavily against her doorframe and peered up at her through the mess of hair that hung in his face. Erza squeezed her eyes shut.

            “I don’t understand.” She sucked in a deep breath before opening her eyes again. Jellal grimaced at her and swayed slightly.

            “Can I come in?”

            Erza moved to the side and stared as he stepped across the threshold. He favored his right leg heavily and when he nearly toppled over, she grabbed his arm and kicked the front door shut.

            “I’m sorry,” he muttered as she helped him to the couch. “I still lose my balance sometimes.” Jellal sank into the cushions and closed his eyes. “Say something, Erza.”

            “Meredy said you were dead, Jellal. She…” Erza fidgeted with her robe and twisted her fingers together. “She brought me your ruined coat and…” Her words were choked with tears and she collapsed next to him on the couch. Jellal weakly wrapped his arms around her and pressed his nose to her hair.

            “I didn’t mean to die, Erza,” he whispered. “It was an accident. Most of all, I never meant to stay away for so long.”

            Erza pulled away from his shoulder and touched his knee. “What happened?”

            “I don’t know, really. I was hit by a blast of dark magic and died.” He sighed again and touched her cheek. “I thought I did, anyway.”

            “I don’t understand.”

            “Neither do I. Ultear’s magic was always strange.”

            “Ultear? But –“

            Jellal’s eyes slid shut. “I remember the last thing I saw was the way the sun was closing in on the mountains behind Meredy, but when I woke on the forest floor the sun was high in the sky.”

            Erza’s heart fluttered in fear when he shifted and his features twisted in pain.

            “My boots were gone and most of my other clothes. I wasn’t even in the same place as before.”

            “But if it was Arc of Time magic how are you still injured?”

            “I don’t know. I’m not even sure it was Ultear, but it sure felt like her magic.” He opened his eyes and grinned crookedly up at her. “I think I’d know what her magic feels like after all the time she spent in my head.”

            “Jellal –“

            “At any rate, I couldn’t just go to any healer. I spent a lot of time on the edges of towns.”

            “Is that why you’re in such bad shape still?” Erza asked carefully.

            He nodded. “Your Fairy Tail healer found me a week ago. I had an infection and improperly fused bones in my leg. She tried to keep me at her home but I couldn’t stay, Erza. It had been long enough.”

            She took his hand and tried to swallow her tears. He’d come back to her from the dead and even in this broken down condition she was bursting at the seams with relief and joy and a whole mess of things that she couldn’t even name.

            “There’s some stuff in my bag your healer made me take with me…” Jellal trailed off when he saw Erza was crying again. “I’m sorry for dying,” he whispered.

            Erza leaned forward and kissed him gently. “But you came back, and that’s what’s important.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last prompt in the list! Thanks for reading!

            Erza paced the length of the kitchen and peeked out into the dining room again. There was no getting around what had to be done. She just needed to say it, and do her best to get on with her life. There were so many better options out there for her than the occupant of the table.

            “Listen,” Erza said as she stepped back into the dining room. “I just can’t do this.”

            There was no response. Not that she’d expected one.

            “I know you’re trying your best. I see your efforts and appreciate them, but this just isn’t working for me.” She took a deep breath and stared at the head of the table. “I want us both to be happy. And you know –“ Erza found herself slipping into a more patronizing tone. “It’s really not even _you_. It’s _me_. I just have certain needs that aren’t being met. I’m really sorry.”

            The dining room was silent, and she knew the hard part was still ahead. She didn’t consider herself an unkind woman, but she did have her limits.

            “I think maybe it’s time for you to go,” she said softly as she approached. “We just can’t ever be together.” Erza gently closed the cake box, and kissed the lid with as much compassion as she could muster.

            “Erza, what are you doing?”

            She spun around to find Jellal staring at her with raised eyebrows. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest.

            “Trying to be polite before I return this cake.”

            “Why are you returning it? I just brought that home this morning.”

            She scowled at him and carefully lifted the box from the table. “I don’t like lemon cake, Jellal. It has to go.”

            “You’re a cruel mistress, Erza.” He laughed as he held the front door open for her. “I’ll walk with you to the bakery. I feel like this rejection is my fault.”

            “You tried.” She smiled as she passed him on her way out the door.


End file.
